Accessibility & Accommodations

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Students who require accommodations for chronic conditions must be registered with the Academic Success Centre and activate their accommodations by providing a letter of accommodation to the course coordinator and the Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs as soon as possible, preferably 4 weeks prior to the start of the course. Students who need accommodated exams must register their exam in Clockwork and also notify the MD Program Assessment Specialist one week (7 days) before each exam. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with the course coordinator at the beginning of this course to discuss any required accommodations.

For students who write exams with accommodations at the Academic Success Centre , please be cognizant of their deadlines and regulations. If you fail to meet these deadlines or follow the procedures, the result is most likely that the Academic Success Centre will be unable to provide the necessary space and/or services you require. In these situations, the MD Program also may not have the resources to provide accessibility-related exam accommodations, and you will be invited to write your exams with peers during the allotted time in the assigned room.

Please note that in the case of chronic conditions that are affecting a student's studies, the Academic Success Centre at University of Alberta is designated to facilitate accommodations.

The purpose of accommodations is to ensure that we "level the playing field" so that all students have a fair chance of achieving the objectives and standards of the MD program. All students, including those with accommodations, are required to achieve the same objectives and standards of the MD program. In other words, accommodations do not provide an advantage, nor do they change the objectives and standards of the program. Registering for accommodations does not show on a student's transcript or MSPR.

There are many benefits to following the accommodations policies and procedures for students, including:

  • Consistency - By following the policy and procedure, students can be assured that their accommodations will be in place, regardless of potential changes in the MD Program office. This ensures that the University and the MD Program is accommodating to the required level as long as it is needed by the student.

  • Flexibility - Having properly documented accommodations may give the MD Program some leverage to make necessary changes to a student's schedules or rotations. If a reasonable accommodation can be made by the Program and the Faculty, it is required to accommodate a student up to the point of undue hardship.

  • Documentation - The appropriate, legal, documentation for an accommodation provided through the Accessibility Resources office can be helpful for students who may need to provide it to preceptors and instructors when requesting accommodations. A letter from a doctor or word of mouth is insufficient when requesting permanent accommodations. By registering with the Accessibility Resources office, students will be assessed more fully and it may be determined that more accommodations are required, thereby ensuring that students have access to the full range of necessary accommodations.

  • Funding - If additional funding or supports are required by the program to support a student's accommodations, the MD Program can access these supports when a student has documented their accommodation with the Accessibility Resources office. These resources are not available if the procedure is not followed.

  • Support - Following the policies and procedures outlined by the Accessibility Resources office ensures that the office is aware of the unique learning needs of medical students, which in turn ensures that all faculty and staff in the MD Program better understand how to better support learners.

Links & Resources

The following links and resources may be helpful to students, faculty, and staff who want to learn more about accommodations:

The MD program can provide students with temporary accommodations for no more than 6 weeks while they are awaiting for accommodations to be put into place following the above policies and procedures.